] 38 Letters, Extracts, Notices, S^c. 



Additions to the National Bird Collection in 1877-78. — 

 The Parliamentary Report on the British Museum, issued in 

 August last, contains the following paragraphs on acquisi- 

 tions by the National Collection : — 



" The ' Tweeddale ^ Collection of birds and ornithological 

 works; presented by Capt. R. G. Wardlaw-Ramsay. 



" This collection consists of about 35,000 specimens of 

 birdskins, and was formed principally by the uncle of the 

 donor, the late Marquis of Tweeddale, who had paid particular 

 attention to certain local faunas, such as the birds ot the 

 Philippine Islands, Andaman Islands, Malayan Peninsula, 

 &c., sparing no expense and labour in rendering these por- 

 tions of his collection complete. As the British Museum was 

 particularly deficient in those faunas in which the ' Tweed- 

 dale^ Collection excels, this acquisition is a very important 

 event in the progress of the ornithological series in tlie 

 British Museum. It is calculated that after the disposal of 

 the duplicates, about 27,000 specimens will be left for incorpo- 

 ration in the Museum series. 



" But besides this valuable collection. Captain Wardlaw- 

 Ramsay has deposited in the British Museum the ornitholo- 

 gical works collected by his uncle and himself, with the 

 expressed desire that this library should be placed in con- 

 tiguity with the study-series of birds, so as to facilitate the 

 work of students. This library consists of about 2300 volumes, 

 and comprises a number of the most costly ornithological 

 publications, such as those by Gould, Audubon, Temminck, 

 &c. 



"The additions to the collection of birds during the past 

 year amounts to 6746, besides the ' Tweeddale ' Collection 

 already mentioned : the following are most worthy of note : — 

 " Parent birds, nests and eggs, or young of the Jackdaw, 

 Capercailzie, and Landrail ; presented by W. R. O. Grant, 

 Esq. 



" A pair of Sparro »vs, with nest and young ; presented by 

 Dr. GUnther. 



"A female Gadwall and a pair of Nuthatches, with nests 



